M-Soccer Roundup: Windsor eliminates defending champions McMaster, Final Four set
Windsor 2 at McMaster 1
There will be a new OUA champion in men's soccer in 2013, as the Windsor Lancers defeated the McMaster Marauders 2-1 in overtime to advance to the OUA final-four.
It was a bitter end to the season for the Marauders, who were the fifth-ranked team in Canada in the last national rankings and trying to win their third consecutive OUA title.
After a scoreless first-half that saw both Mac keeper Angelo Cavalluzzo and his Lancer counterpart Dejo Olagbegi make fantastic saves, it was Windsor that drew first blood in the 60th minute. The Lancers were awarded a free kick from about 25 yards in front of the Marauder net and Chris Mayorga made a perfect strike into the top right corner to take the lead.
Down a goal, McMaster stepped up the pressure but Olagbegi made some outstanding stops to keep the Maroon off the sheet.
It took until the 74th minute when Marauder David Serafini made a dangerous run and the Windsor keeper took him down a little too hard in the box, resulting in a penalty kick. Serafini, who had come on as a second-half substitute, stepped up to the spot and drilled a low shot past Olagbegi to tie the game at 1-1.
With nothing settled after 90 minutes, the game went to overtime and both keepers continued to shine, making big stops. With seven minutes left before the teams would line up for penalty kicks, Windsor's Michael Pio outran the Mac defense and chipped a shot over the charging Cavalluzzo to re-take the lead. The Marauders pushed forward frantically with the season on the line, but Windsor held firm and was able to deflect the pressure until the final whistle.
Windsor keeper Olagbegi was the story of the game as he repeatedly stymied the McMaster shooters with several monstrous saves. Windsor now advances to face the highest seed from the OUA East in next week's final-four.
Source: McMaster Sports Info
Toronto 2 at Ryerson 3
TORONTO – The Ryerson Rams men’s soccer team needed extra time but the No. 2 team in the nation is through to the OUA Final Four championship with a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues on Sunday afternoon in quarter-final playoff action.
Nick Lambis (Pickering, Ont.) played the role of overtime hero for the Rams, scoring his first OUA goal just in the nick of time. Lambis knocked home a great corner ball delivery from Martin Dabrowski (Barrie, Ont.) in the 120th minute to give Ryerson the 3-2 lead.
“It feels good, I hadn’t got a goal all season but the guys fought back today...I was lucky enough to get on the end of the corner there. Good ball in from Martin, too...it’s a good feeling overall and feels good to be in the Final Four,” commented Lambis following the game.
Lambis’s goal was not the only dramatic finish for the Rams as OUA and CIS leading goal scorer Alex Braletic (Thornhill, Ont.) found the back of the net in the 90th minute to tie the game up at twos and send it into extra time.
Fifth-year forward Armin Tankovic (Mississauga, Ont.) opened the scoring for Ryerson in the 20th minute as he finished a great pass from Viktor Anastasov (Toronto) to give the Rams a 1-0 lead.
Toronto responded in the 32nd minute when Devon Bowyer (Toronto) found space down the left side and curled a shot along the turf just out of the outstretched hands of Rams keeper Christian Maraldo (Mississauga, Ont.).
The Varsity Blues took the lead in the 54th minute when Kilian Elkinson (Toronto) converted a free kick off the post and in.
With the lead, Toronto began to sit back to preserve their advantage and when Ryerson scored late to tie the match it took the Blues offence a while to get back into a rhythm. The Rams carried much of the play in extra time and eventually were rewarded with the winning goal.
“We talked about it all year, the toughness and the character of this team. We’re not as talented as we have been in years past but we’re resilient. We’ll come back; no lead is insurmountable,” said associate coach Fil Prostran after the win.
The Rams had mixed emotions following the win, summarized nicely by coach Fil.
“You can see it on their faces. Some of them are crying, laughing, they don’t know what to do.”
After finishing first in the OUA east division the Rams will now play host to the OUA Final Four next weekend, Nov. 2-3, at Birchmount Stadium. Stay tuned to ryersonrams.ca for game information heading into the championship tournament.
Source: Ryerson Sports Info
Laurier 0 at York 5
Mark-Anthony Kaye (Toronto) began the playoffs as he finished the regular season, lighting up the scoreboard with two goals to propel the York University Lions men's soccer team to a 5-0 victory over the Laurier Golden Hawks in their OUA quarter-final game at York Stadium on Sunday (Oct. 27).
The win advances the No. 3 nationally-ranked Lions to the OUA Final Four Championships for the sixth time in the last seven years, where they will face the Carleton Ravens in the semifinals.
The first half kicked off with York looking to test Golden Hawks goalkeeper Brett Harrington (Tillsonburg, Ont.), forcing him to play the ball early and often in the opening half. Harrington looked shaky throughout, coughing up rebounds in front of the net that generated scoring opportunities for the Lions.
Looking to capitalize, Carlos Nogueira (Brampton, Ont.) grabbed the ball and powered in-between Laurier's defence to create space. Rushing in for the shot, Harrington would just catch him with a sliding save to thwart the attack before a shot.
But the Lions continued to suffocate Laurier in their end, and in the 21st minute Kaye (Toronto) would notch his first goal of the game, finally beating Harrington for the early lead.
Three minutes later, speedy striker Joseph Cicchillo (North York, Ont.) drew a key penalty kick when he was tripped while darting in behind a Laurier defender for a breakaway. Kaye took the shot for the Lions, rifling his kick far right just past the outstretched arms of Harrington for his second score on the game.
York would carry the momentum, and a two-goal advantage, into the break.
Returning to the field for the second, the Lions continued the offensive onslaught in Laurier's end.
In the 61st minute, first-year standout Dylan Sacramento (Unionville, Ont.) would carry the ball into Golden Hawks territory with speed. Fooling the defence with a shifty shoulder fake, he rifled a laser marked for the net to go up by three. The score would ignite the crowd, as Sacramento bowed to the fans in recognition.
With the game seemingly out of reach, the Golden Hawks dug deep and switched to a more physical approach, hoping to match speed with size. The Lions defence proved too stout, however, shutting the door on all of Laurier's attempts. York goalkeeper Sotiri Varlokostas (Toronto) was perfect in the match, saving all three shots he faced on his way to the shutout.
Jonathan Lao (Unionville, Ont.) and Tyrone Downes (Markham, Ont.) would add two insurance goals in the 87th and 90th minutes, respectively, to close out the game.
The Ryerson Rams, top seeds in the OUA East, will host the OUA Final Four Championships next weekend at Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough, Ont. The times of the semifinals have yet to be determined.
Source: York Sports Info
Queen’s 1 at Carleton 2
Joey Kewin had no intention of playing his last CIS game on Sunday afternoon against the Queen’s Gaels.
The Ravens hosted an OUA quarter final contest at Ravens Field versus Queen’s with the winner advancing to next weekend’s OUA Final Four.
The fifth-year striker from London, Ontario provided Carleton with the golden goal in the 105th minute of play to give the Ravens a 2-1 victory of the Gaels.
Queen’s had forced the game into extra time after Andrew Martin found the back of the Carleton net in the 90th minute.
Kewin’s special strike came after he pounced on a loose ball just outside the Queen’s box and made no mistake tweaking the twine for the game winner.
“It felt so good to get on the end of a ball and put it in,” admitted Kewin. “It was tough to see Queen’s score like that but our coaches settled us down and we (Carleton) did what we had to do to win the game.”
Daud Dahir (Ottawa, ON), 54th had given Carleton a 1-0 lead and for the longest time, that goal looked like it was going to be the winning marker until Queen’s late game dramatics.
“It was nail biting stuff for sure,” said a relieved Ravens head coach, Sandy Mackie. “Fortunately for us we did a much better job protecting our second lead of the game.”
The Ravens will now travel to Toronto next weekend to compete in the 2013 OUA men’s soccer Final Four tournament which will be hosted by Ryerson, the highest remaining East team.
The Rams survived a scare of their own with a 3-2 extra time win over Toronto.
The tournament will get underway at 11:00AM on Saturday, November 2 with (No.2 East) Carleton (8-3-3) taking on (No.1 West) York (13-2-1).
At 2:00 p.m. (No.2 West) Windsor (7-3-6) will tackle (No.1 East) Ryerson (12-0-2).
The bronze medal game will be played at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3. The two winners from Saturday’s matches will compete for gold beginning at 2:00PM.
The 2013 CIS men’s soccer championship will be held at the University New Brunswick from November 7-10.
Source: Carleton Sports Info